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If you are a keen aviation fan and live in Luxembourg, your options are rather limited when it comes to putting on an air show. Luxembourg has only one significant airport, the main Luxembourg International at Findel. And I am confident that an application for an air show at that busy international airport would be just as welcome as an application for a de Havilland weekend fly in at Heathrow.
As there are no other major fields in Luxembourg capable of hosting a large air show, clearly there is a difficulty. And this lack of a good venue in Luxembourg could become a problem later in the year when Findel celebrates a number of milestones in its long existence, including the sixtieth anniversary of the commencement of full time commercial operations from Luxembourg Airport, by the embryonic Luxembourg Airlines, on September 4, 1948.
So, for now, Luxembourgians have to satisfy themselves with holding their air shows outside of Luxembourg altogether. Fortunately neighbouring Germany has a first rate, ex military base close by.
Bitburg which amply fits the bill as an excellent display venue is only a few minutes drive from the Luxembourg border. Easily accessible by major routes from all directions, the base is an easy 3 to 4 hour, toll free, mostly motorway drive from the ferry at Dunkirk.
This years “Luxembourg Air Show 2008” was held at Bitburg on the weekend of June 28 and 29. And similar to the spotters day at RIAT and a few other major shows, the organizers, keen to encourage as many aviation enthusiasts as possible, made available a facility for small groups of enthusiast to a attend early, for the arrival of show aircraft on the Friday evening.
It is well worth specially mentioning this Spotters Event, organized by Thierry Deutsch, as a small group of around twenty enthusiasts was given a very warm welcome and excellent, privileged access to a number of observation points during the pre and post show arrivals and departures, including spectacular locations just a few yards from the touch down end of the runway and adjacent to the runway mid point. It would be nice if some UK and US venues would learn from this and make similar arrangements to welcome real enthusiasts.
The weekend weather was variable, as always; grey skies on Friday evening, grey on Saturday morning, but lifting to a generally brighter day on Sunday.
Fortunately the changeable weather did not cause any significant disruption to the show. The worst affected were perhaps the Patrouille de France who, in their Alphajets, could only complete a slightly truncated, horizontal display as their time over the field coincided with the darkest and lowest clouds on both of the show days.
However, on Sunday, much improved weather, partly cloudy with some blue skies and a moderate westerly wind produced the best conditions for almost everyone else, including the large crowd of spectators.
The extensive list of aeroplanes on display was excellent and most were put through their paces by very, very competent pilots.
The French registered de Havilland Vampire, flown by Yves Decamps, flew early in the day and put on a spirited, low level show under temporarily darkening skies before departing for its home base near Paris. I am assured that in this time of spiraling fuel prices, it was worthwhile routing the Vampire via Luxembourg to top up its required 2,500 litres of fuel at the lowest prices in northern Europe.
As always, Team Ginot were present, with their rather raucous, high powered Stearman/Kaydets. Performing to their usual high standards they filled the sky with
smoke and noise during a first rate display of precision flying. I have yet to see the two young lady wing walkers touch hands as they fly in close formation, one hanging inverted above the other, but, despite the moderate wind and probably rather bumpy flying conditions, they came very close to success on this occasion.
Red Bull displayed their spotless DC6, polished to perfection. I suspect that their equally polished display pilots are very used to taking part in the spectacular Red Bull series of races as the aeroplane was taken impressively close to its limits during the display. I imagine the pilots of this aeroplane have had some experience of displaying aeroplanes to an audience because not only did they impress with their flying ability, they also knew just how to show the aeroplane off to the crowds.
The equally impressively polished and shiny Mitchell B25, also operated by Red Bull, performed in similar style and the appreciative audience were able to see the whole of the aeroplane, not just its sides or underbelly as it turned away from the crowd.
Later in the day the DC6 was joined in a very loose formation by two DC3s and the ubiquitous and very welcome Plane Sailing Catalina. For close to twenty minutes those ten mighty radial engines filled the sky with a magical, long forgotten sound.
The sound of engines played a noticeable part in the show. For a while earlier we had been treated to the gentle sound (for a jet engined aircraft) of the Goblin powered Vampire and before that we had been treated to the sound of the magical Merlin courtesy of the Scandinavian Mustang, Old Crow.
The French Dassault MD311 Flamant, (Flamingo) powered by two inverted V 12 cylinder Renault engines ran so smoothly during its display that it sounded almost as if it were a turbo prop, reminiscent of the Whispering Giant, Bristol Britannia.
The Flamant, the development of which goes back to immediately post war, was the first to carry the impressive Dassault name .Though from some angles the Dassault Flamant looks quite portly, for the most part it appears as one of those aeroplanes about which you could say, if it looks good, it flies good. And this aeroplane flew good!
An aeroplane about which it would be difficult to say anything good about its looks none the less put on a very impressive show, including water bombing a small fire set just in front of the main crowd. The PZL-106 Ar Kruk could best be described as functional, in an obviously agricultural way. Though perhaps on reflection purposeful might be a fairer description, as the aeroplane was clearly capable of a remarkable level of maneuverability at low speed close to the ground, essential in an aeroplane such as this. The bigger brother of this piston engined display aircraft can be fitted with a 750 shp turbo prop engine, which would no doubt very significantly increase its already impressive performance.
From the ridiculous to the sublime, we were treated to several displays by one of my all time favourite light aircraft, the Ferrari of the skies, the Marchetti SF262. Though now getting a bit long in the tooth, this venerable and highly competent aircraft is still a remarkable masterpiece of Italian design and construction. Though I have never had the pleasure of flying one of these delightful aeroplanes, it will always hold a special place for me.
But if ever there was an aeroplane which I personally would crave to fly, and by far the most important aeroplane at The Luxembourg Air Show, was the beautiful Messerschmitt Me262. What an honour and privilege it must be to fly that magnificent machine.
The Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was known by its pilots as the Sturmvogel or Stormbird, though I am sure Allied forces had several other names for this magnificently effective fighting machine.
The fabulous, iconic Messerschmitt Me 262 performed exclusively for the spotters on Friday and for the crowds on Sunday, though unfortunately it failed to fly on Saturday due to a technical fault with the undercarriage.
The runway at Bitburg is some 50 feet (15 metres) higher than the taxiway and as the problem apparently affected the aeroplanes braking ability, it was felt prudent not to attempt to taxi the aeroplane down the steep ramp.
From every angle the Messerschmitt is a beautiful aeroplane. Though this is not the genuine article, it is as close as we are ever likely to get. Using modern construction and engines, it is for all practical purposes externally an identical copy of the magnificent war time Me 262 designed by Willy Messerschmitt from his 1939 designs. Though the Messerschmitts excellent display was inevitably too brief for everyone, it got a very hearty response from the largely German audience.
Obviously it was a major highlight for many of them too, as soon after the Me 262 turned for its home base, some elements of the large crowds too started to trickle away.
It was a shame not to stay longer as we were treated to several world class aerobatic displays. Two Extra 300s one from Jeppessen Aerobatics and the other from Xtreme Aerobatics gave great displays against what was then clear blue skies.In an aerobatic league of her own however was Pascale Alajouanine, flying the Cap 230. Her display lasted several minutes and was quite breathtaking, both in terms of precision flying and also in imagining the stresses and strains she must have exerted on herself and her aeroplane. A truly remarkable exhibition.
Luxair were present with the DHC Dash8-400 and the Fokker F50 which was available for interior inspection. This aeroplane departed during the show and it really was a remarkably quiet aeroplane. I wonder if, bearing in mind not just noise factors, but also the price and availability of fuel, we will be returning much more to relatively very fuel efficient turbo prop aircraft like the Dash8-400.
During the day, the US Air Force put in a very brief appearance, with a fly by of two A10 Thunderbolts. No sooner had they arrived than they were gone.
The Aero Albatross L39 of R. Blatt put on a spirited show under dark clouds.
Two T6s attended and were seen taking off and landing at odd times throughout the show, one of them frequently accompanied by the Marchetti.
Sightseeing helicopter rides were also undertaken throughout the duration of the show.
The French registered Skyraider, bearing the USS Saratoga colours and markings gave a credible display, though at times he did seem to be a long way from his
audience.
The five member formation flying team, The P3 Flyers provided us with a nice formation aerobatic display in their variously coloured Pilatus P3s.
The broken cloud lifted for a while during the synchronized glider aerobatic display provided by the Jeppesen Synchrogliders. Even so the gliders did occasionally disappear from sight into the cloud base, though that did not prevent them from completing an excellent and very relaxing display.
The Musee Europeen de L’Aviation Chasse displayed their North American OV-10 Bronco to very good effect. Probably one of the very best display performances of the Sunday show, the Bronco also enjoyed some of the best weather, most of its display taking place under clear blue skies. The Bronco carries German Air Force markings though its French registration, in standard black, is just visible against the dark drab finish of the tail boom.
The Luxembourg Air Show is a biennial event and the next show, also at Bitburg, is currently planned for mid June 2010. For further information about the next show and the highly recommended arrangements for Spotters Weekend, keep a check on www.airshow.lu